a10secstreetcar

One motorcyclist died.

R.I.P

Collision with pickup kills motorcyclist on U.S. 41
MANATEE COUNTY -- A 30-year-old Bradenton motorcyclist was killed late Wednesday and his friend was critically injured after their bikes collided with a pickup truck making an improper left turn, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Eric A. Howard and Jonathan Harris, 25, of Sarasota, were riding south on 14th Street West shortly before 8 p.m. when their motorcycles struck a vehicle at 60th Avenue West.

Groups of people were clustered on the four corners where 14th Street West meets 60th Avenue late Wednesday. The pickup truck and two motorcycles lay on their sides amid a field of shattered glass and pieces of plastic and metal.

Howard, who owned a painting company, died at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. Harris was critically injured, according to FHP reports. Both men were wearing helmets.

Harris needed a respirator to breathe early Thursday and was in a medical-induced coma, said a friend, Juan Gonzalez, who is part of a tight-knit group of motorcycle riders that included Harris and Howard.

Court records show Harris, an apprentice-electrician, was fighting a careless driving charge in Manatee County court and had a hearing this month. He was charged in May with not having a valid motorcycle license.

Howard also did not have a motorcycle endorsement on his license, according to FHP Cpl. David Brunner. The endorsement is required to lawfully operate a motorcycle.

Gonzalez said Harris, whose father is a prominent church leader in Sarasota, had just finished repairs on his motorcycle when he took it for a spin Wednesday night on 14th Street West.

"He was all excited about having the bike running," Gonzalez said.

Harris' father, the Rev. Gregory Harris, chairman of Active Reformation Movement of Sarasota County, said Thursday that troopers told him that Harris and Howard were not speeding.

"In life we have to take the unfortunate with the fortunate, the good with the bad, and we try to make the best of life with God's help," Harris said.

Authorities cited East Manatee resident Teri M. Grimes, 52, an English teacher at Lakewood Ranch High School, for making a left turn in front of approaching traffic.

Grimes, a correspondent for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune who has written restaurant reviews, suffered minor injuries in the crash and was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital for treatment. She could not be reached for comment.

Grimes is married to Herald-Tribune columnist David Grimes.

Ken600RR

I hate reading these =/

R.i.P

wsideshow

repost plz look at other threads .sux to see reposts like this 1

kizzile

its amazing how people dont look for us on the road. Prayers sent to both families

BERT-O

R.I.P.

That nite was a good nite to go riding, as I was only like 5 minutes south from where I was eating dinner (Hooters).

After dark, Bradenton traffic are quiet, which I was stuck about it since I almost took my bike to meet some friends (didn't cause I wanna to drink beer).

Cammo

Damn, R.I.P.

Adrenaline

yeah I have had so many close calls its amazing.
I dont know how else to make me stand out without having a giant sign attached to my bike. I wear reflective jackets, ride a blue R1 (opposed to black which could be harder to see at night), use my signals, yield, etc. And yet people still get hurt.
I wish the best for everybody and their families.